


Buried Roots

by aknightchild



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Biblical References, Blasphemy, M/M, Witch Trials, Witchcraft, joshler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2019-10-02 02:48:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17256194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aknightchild/pseuds/aknightchild
Summary: Before the Salem witch trials, there was another case of witch hysteria in America that was never recorded, on the count of the town desperately trying to forget it. In the year 1689, a young man named Joshua Dun would accompany his father to investigate Charleston, South Carolina for reports of witchcraft. He would be forced to befriend a local boy, Tyler Joseph and his family to watch them for anything strange.What would occur after that is beyond human comprehension. What would make a town commit such unspeakable acts?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bringing this over from my wattpad, just to see if anyone over here might enjoy it. 
> 
> Chapter Song:
> 
> Nothing but the Water by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

New York, 1689

Dear William Dun,

The town of Charleston has been plagued with hysteria over the possibility of witchcraft. Several people have already been hung over accusations of being in allegiance with the devil and there are rumors about many other's in the community that are troubling. We are in desperate need of an outside expert opinion, please let us know as soon as possible if you can be of any help.

Reverend Thompson

Josh peered up from the letter to meet his father's waiting gaze, wondering why he had wanted him to read the letter. He always knew it was from somewhere far off whenever the sender addressed a letter to William and not Bill, which his father preferred to go by. South Carolina was certainly a faraway place.

"Joshua, I think it's time you accompany me on a case." He remarks.

"Father, I'd rather not. This sounds like it could be quite serious and I wouldn't want to get in the way."

He waved away Josh's words with an easy smile saying, "Nonsense! You are more than ready to follow in my footsteps. In fact, I think you just might out do me."

He did his best to return the smile as he pointed out, "That's kind of you to say, but what about mother? Who will make sure that Ashley and Abigail are protected while we are gone?"

"Jordan is old enough to take on being the man of the house. You need not fret so much." He tells Josh while putting an arm around his shoulders. "Are you afraid of the devil, son?"

"To be truthful, I am."

"You shouldn't fear him, for we will have God on our side. You must also remember that most likely these people might be wrong about what is happening in their town, it could simply be paranoia caused by bad wheat."

"Paranoia would cause them to kill members of their community?"

A solemn look took over his features as he spoke, "Sadly, sometimes that is just the case. People are still too quick to cry that the devil's work is at hand than look for other answers. Some people are thirstier for blood than they'd like to admit, even to themselves. That is why I'll need you to accompany me, your fresh perspective will be useful."

Josh knew that he wasn't going to win this, so he gave in. "Alright, when are we leaving?"

His father finally let him go at that, stepping towards the entrance of their home, "As soon as the sun rises tomorrow. So, you might want to hurry with getting your things together for the trip."

As soon as Josh was alone, he let out a heavy sigh as he stared out at the setting sun, watching the way it cast an orange glow over everything. He found himself wondering, questioning if people could really have the sort of powers only God should have. The idea itself sent shivers down his spine. He pushed aside the worries as he followed his father inside, finding his mother in the middle of sewing a torn seam in one of Abigail's dresses.

"I was just told that you're going with your father on this new case, is that true?" She questioned without even glancing up from her work.

"Yes, ma'am."

"How do you feel about it?"

He swallowed, "I'm a bit leery, to be honest."

She paused her movements to finally look at her son, "Joshua, you are braver than you know and just think about what you're going to be doing. You'll be a part of healing an entire town, doesn't that sound wonderful?"

"It does, but what if there really are witches there?"

His mother put down the clothing in her hands and moved to stand before Josh. She placed her hands on his shoulders and in a soothing voice tells him, "Listen to me, my sweet boy, God will not allow any harm to come to you and your father as long as you both believe in him. You believe in the lord, don't you?"

Josh nodded.

"Then you have nothing to fear. Your brother, sisters, and I will keep you in our prayers constantly. Have faith and nothing will steer you in the wrong direction."

The next morning Josh was glad to wake up to find that the chill of the night air still lingered. He slipped out from under his cover and started to get ready, trying to be quiet so he wouldn't disturb Jordan. When he was dressed, he stepped out of his room to find his mother helping his father adjust the collar of his shirt.

When he noticed Josh standing in the doorway, a smile stretched its way across his face, making his eyes crinkle slightly. "Good morning, Josh. How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Excellent! We'll have a quick breakfast and then we will be on our way." He tells him, clearly feeling giddier than Josh was about this trip.

Half way through their meal, all of Josh's younger siblings rose out of bed to join them. Jordan and Ashley came in with quiet good morning's and then there was Abigail.

"Joshie! Josh!" She cried and bound over to her brother, promptly climbing up into his lap. "Do you have to go with Daddy? Why can't you stay at home like normal?"

"It is time that your brother learns my practice my dear and if he decides to not pursue it, then you can have him here as often as you like." Their father explains as he pats her small hand.

"I'll be back before you know it." Josh tell her with a kiss on the top of her head.

Once breakfast was over they quickly loaded up the horses and after many drawn out goodbyes, set off for South Carolina. The ride was rather quiet other than the sound of muffled hooves on the ground. Josh knew that by the time they got off of these horses his thighs were going to be unreasonably sore, but he enjoyed the wind whipping against his face. The sun raced them across the horizon and before it got to dark, they decided to set up camp for the night. Just as Josh had thought, his legs protested his every movement and when he finally laid down, they cramped up a bit before he could fall asleep.

The next morning, he woke up shivering and furiously rubbed at his arms to give them some warmth from friction. The sound a chuckle startled him in snapping up into a sitting position, finding his father stoking a small fire. Josh wasted no time moving over to the blaze.

"Sleep well?"

Josh rubbed his blurry eyes and nodded, "Pretty good, I just had a hard time staying asleep because I was so sore."

Bill pat his son on the shoulder reassuring him, "You'll get used to it after a day or so."

Josh wanted to let out a groan at the idea, but he knew better that to put up a fuss. He just remained silent as he gazed into the flames.

It did in fact take several days to reach the state of South Carolina and Josh didn't know how much more traveling he could take. His whole body ached like a fresh bruise all time now, but his father gave him some relief with a few words.

"Tomorrow morning we'll reach the town, but I think we should rest here for the night." He told Josh over their small fish dinner they had caught earlier.

Later that night Josh laid there, unable to sleep. He hated to admit to himself that it was thoughts of that town keeping him awake. He feared what he was about to be a part of and what he might witness. He turned on his side to find his father fast asleep. Josh wondered how his father could appear so peaceful when he was faced with something so terrifying. Josh told himself that he was trying to make something out of nothing and that he should at least attempt to get some rest.

He rolled back onto his backside and shut his eyes. Sleep had only taken him under for a moment when he realized that he had to relieve himself. The last thing he wanted to do was leave what let warmth he had under his cotton blanket, but the urge wouldn't ease up on him. He let out a huff of air and hurried over behind a large tree.

He quickly did his business and turned to go back to the camp, but when he did he found a doe standing right in front of him. His breath caught in his throat at the sight. Josh had never been so close to a live deer before. She was clearly full grown, so Josh couldn't understand why the animal hadn't run off already. The doe's soft brown eyes gazed at him with curiosity, maybe she had never seen a human before. It was possible that she didn't even know to be afraid.

She only blinked at him before turning and stepping deeper into the forest. Josh decided that this was his queue to head back to camp, but as he did he couldn't shake the feeling now that he was being watched. He surveyed the tree line, but all he could see was darkness in between the branches. Josh shivered slightly and rushed back underneath his cover as if that would make him safer.

A strange screeching sound met Josh's ears a few minutes later and for a split second he thought it sounded like a woman, until he recalled that he had heard this sound before. It was a deer. The noise coming from the woods grew louder and the cries more ragged by the second, like the animal was running away from something. Fear of a bear or coyote had Josh running over to the supply bags, fishing out a hunting dagger. His heart was pounding in his ears as the screaming reached a new height of agony when it suddenly stopped.

The silence was almost worse than the shrieks, even the horses had been spooked into a hush. Josh's eyes searched for any sign of movement among the underbrush, then just to his left a twig snapped. Josh's head jerked in the sounds direction and froze at the sight of a silhouette of a person a few feet away from him, illuminated by the dying light of the campfire.

He tried to make his voice sound intimidating as he called out, "Hey! What are you doing over there?"

Josh's father grumbled in his sleep, but didn't wake up any further. It was troubling that he could sleep through all of this. The figure shot upright at the sound of Josh speaking.

"What does it matter to you?" A male voice questioned, but to be truthful they sounded just as scared as Josh felt.

"Were you the cause for all that noise a minute ago?"

"It was this deer."

Despite his better judgement, Josh stepped into the woods and saw the doe from a moment ago. Her soulful eyes now looked hollow and glass-like as they stared up into nothing. The animal's fur was matted with thick blood that was still pouring from her open wound. Josh's gaze flicked up to the stranger beside him, finding that he was just as soiled as the deer.

"What did you kill it for?" Josh questioned as he thought of her fearless behavior, it had clearly been her demise.

"So, my family can eat?" The boy responded like it should have been obvious. He shook his head and sighed, "I'm sorry for being snappy, if I had my way I wouldn't be doing this at all."

"Then why doesn't your father take care of this instead of you?" Josh asked, he could tell that this boy was at least close to his age.

His tone was stiff as he muttered, "Because he isn't around anymore."

Josh could see a storm of emotions in the other's dark eyes. Josh knew that this was bringing the stranger some sort of pain and he instantly regretted his questioning.

"Well, um, I'm sorry for disturbing your hunt. I'll leave you be now." Josh tells him as he starts to turn away.

"Hold on, where are you from?" The boy questions, taking a few steps in Josh's direction.

"I'm from New York. My father and I are here on business."

That answer seemed to satisfy the stranger as he nodded and went back to the doe. Josh took that as his signal to leave and hastened back over to his campsite. It took a while for Josh's pounding heart to calm down, but even then, he remained restless.

The weird encounter kept Josh awake with memories of that deer screaming in pain. The wind picked up as the night went on, howling through the branches, producing haunting sounds, like the doe was still suffering from somewhere beyond.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song:
> 
> Bottom of the River by Delta Rae

The sunlight glaring against his eyelids woke Josh the next morning. He guessed that he had eventually passed out from exhaustion at some point, but he could tell that he hadn't managed to get much sleep.

His head felt fuzzy as his father lead him into town. It was so small that it appeared to be more of a village than anything else. The stares and whispers that came in their wake did not go unnoticed by Josh as he trailed behind his father on his horse. Josh wondered if they all knew what they were here for and from some of the glares he received, he had feeling that some of them did.

"Reverend William Dun, I presume?" A short man questions as he approaches Josh's father and extends his hand to shake the other man's.

"You can call me Bill." Josh's father remarks as he slides off of his horse and then shakes the man's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Reverend Hugh Thompson and I was the one to call for you. Please let me show you where you'll be staying." The man that they now knew to be Reverend Thompson motioned for them to follow. "I see that you've brought someone along with you. Who is this young man?"

"That is my son Joshua. I've decided that it's time he try his hand at this."

Hugh smiles up at Josh saying, "Wonderful, the more helping hands we have, the better."

Hugh lead them to a stunning house just down the road and guided them inside. Josh finally relaxed now that they were away from everyone else. Josh was glad that the reverend had two guest bedrooms, claiming that they were for any children he might have when he gets a wife. When all of their things were brought in and the horses were fed, the three men set off for the courthouse.

Josh truly wished he could be left out of the meeting they were about to attend. All he could think of was that soft featherdown bed residing in his new room. He figured he might as well call it that since he had no clue how long he would sleep there. That's when it occurred to him that he should probably ask.

Josh picked up his pace so he could be in stride with his father before questioning, "How long do you think we'll be staying here?"

"For as long as it takes." Bill responded before turning his focus back to Hugh.

Josh's heart sank as he recalled that some of these trips would have his father gone for months at a time. There was really was no way to know how long they'd be away from home. He instantly missed his mother and siblings at the thought, he had never been away from them for a long period of time.

Josh was lost in his thoughts as they stepped into the courtroom, but the sudden halt in the bickering and shouting brought his attention back. The seven men sitting at the front of the room watched them approach with cautious and cold stares, but one man's gaze remained solely on Josh, making his skin prickle.

"Reverend, may I ask who these gentlemen are?" A blond man with waxy skin questioned from up on his perch.

"This is Sir William Dun, who is accompanied by his son Joshua Dun."

"And what brings them here?"

"As I said in our last meeting, I requested him to investigate the trials and accusations of witchcraft in this community." Hugh explains before turning to Bill. "This is Sir James Cardwell."

Another man with dark curls sitting behind the tall bench cleared his throat, "The issue has already been dealt with. We no longer require their sort of service."

"Not entirely, there is still the case of those children, Clarence." James pointed out.

"There also a handful of other people awaiting trial later this week." Another added on.

"Did we just not decide this moments ago? We all know what and who is causing these things. The day the eldest Joseph boy is eighteen, he will hang." Clarence states in a matter of fact tone, appearing fed up.

That was when Bill chose to speak up, "What are the crimes this young man had committed to receive such a punishment?"

"He...it...well, unspeakable things!" Clarence stumbled over his words

"Those are just rumors for all we know." James mutters in a bored tone.

"Everyone in this town knows that there is something wrong with that boy."

James shook his head and turned his attention back to Bill, "Parts of the community believe that two of the accused's oldest son is also involved in black magic."

"And are they willing to put him to death over such beliefs?" Bill questioned with an arched brow.

"We have our reasons, Sir Dun. Unexplainable things have been happening around here since the day that boy was born." Clarence declares with an unsettling look in his eye.

"Well, I would like to think that this court would be reasonable enough to try to gain some evidence of these statements before making any rash decisions."

Clarence could only stare at Josh's father in awe, clearly at a loss for words. Josh had to bite his lip to keep from grinning out of amusement and pride. His father had obviously outsmarted the other man.

"What about your boy?" The man that had been watching Josh questions, his eyes were calculating now. "Do you think he would be willing to attempt to acquire this evidence? To befriend the accused?"

"That's more up to him than me, what do you say Josh?"

Josh swallowed thickly, he hadn't even wanted to come here, let alone get this deeply involved. His eyes silently pleaded with his father to get him out of this somehow. The gaze of expectation he received told Josh that it wasn't going to happen. He saw no other way out of this other than to flat out refusing the request. He knew that he would never hear the end of it if he didn't do as he was asked. If his father was right, that all this talk about witchcraft was just make-believe, then he could do it.

Josh put on a brave face answering, "Alright, I'll do it."

James frowned slightly and rose his voice announcing, "It's settled then, this brave young man will find the answers we all seek. You will have until December first to prove whether or not the Joseph boy is innocent."

"May God stay by your side my boy." Clarence states with a small nod.

That made Josh's blood chill, this man truly believed that Josh was putting his life at risk. All the attention was on Josh now and he wished that he could simply disappear. What did these people thing this other boy was capable of? One would think with the way some of them were watching him that he was pretty much being sent off to die.

Josh barely felt his father wrap his arm around his shoulders as the meeting was adjourned and made him follow Hugh back out. Now Josh had to figure out who the boy even was and somehow become friends with him. It was the only way he knew how to go about this.

Something was bugging Josh, so he asked, "Who was that man that asked me to do this anyway?"

"That was John Ryan. He's the town preacher." Hugh explains. "He's a bit of an odd man."

Josh's head was so frazzled by the time they made it back to Hugh's house that all he could focus on was finding a way to get some sleep. He quickly excused himself and took to the stairs before anything else could be said to him. As soon as he laid down, exhaustion dragged him under.

He awoke with a start some time later. He felt well rested, but at the same time sensed that something wasn't right. Kicking the covers off that he had managed to tangle himself in while sleeping and slipped off the bed. His feet padded across the wooden floor as he took note of the silence in the house, the other men must have gone to bed.

The only source of light was the moon's glow streaming in through the windows. Creeping down the steps and towards the front door. Josh had no clue what was compelling him forward as he made his way in the direction of the woods. The soles of his bare feet were numb to the foliage and twigs as he made his way through the night. He vaguely noticed that the moonlight was unusually bright, allowing him to spot the clearing a few feet in front of him.

There was a strange milky glow to everything and Josh found it almost mesmerizing when a fog crept in along the ground. Pausing his movement, the second a figure glided into view much like the mist. When Josh was sure that he wasn't going to be seen, he hid behind a tree and barely peeked from around it. The person's face was obscured from sight by the hood of their black cloak, but in its place rested a deer's skull. What he was seeing confused and unnerved him as he asked himself why he had even come out here in the first place.

His mind frantically searched for a way to escape this situation unnoticed, but when he spotted another person stepping out of the tree-line across from him, he halted. It was a blonde girl in a white nightgown and she didn't hesitate to approach the masked individual. Josh became even more puzzled when she knelt down to the ground and bowed her head before them.

Everything about this felt wrong and the only thing Josh wanted was to run back to the house, so he could hide under the covers until the morning came. He didn't care if that made him weak, he was alone and he had no idea what to even do. As he observed the unsettling scene before him, he watched the hollowed-out eye sockets of the deer skull begin to emanate a faint red glow.

Every hair on his body stood on end and he knew then that this was just a person in a mask, this was an actual entity of evil. The thing's head snapped in Josh's direction, making his heart skip a beat. How could it even see him? The figure shifted and drifted towards him, its eyes glowing like hot coals now and they were steadily growing brighter. Every part of Josh's being told him to run, but he was frozen in place. He cried out and collapsed to the dirt, but his body didn't hit solid ground, it felt as if he was sinking.

He thrashed around and it took him a second to realize that he was thrashing around on the bed. Josh rolled off of his stomach, lifting his face from the mattress to reveal the sunlight surrounding him. It had all been a dream.

"Joshua? Are you going to get up any time soon?" His father called through the door as he knocked on it.

Josh let out a shaky sigh of relief before responding, "Yes, I just need to finish getting dressed."

"Hurry up then, there's someone down stairs we'd like you to meet."

That made his throat tighten, was the Joseph boy downstairs? Josh hurried to get himself put together, but was apprehensive as he took one step at a time. He could make out voices coming from the dining room, but across from his father at the long table sat a girl with golden blonde hair.

"Ah, here he is!" Bill announces as he waves Josh over. "This is Deborah Ryan and she's offered to show you around."

Josh approached her and extended a hand to her.

She shook it gently saying, "It's nice to meet you, Josh. You can call me Debby for short."

Inside his mind, Josh wondered how and if she was related to John Ryan. It turned out that right before he left, his father informed him that Debby was John's daughter and she was sent by him. This whole thing was making Josh uncomfortable, but he didn't put up a fight as she led him out the door. He felt like nothing about this trip was going to give him much of a choice about anything.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song:
> 
> All Away by The Builders and The Butchers

 

Debby was a bright and cheery girl to say the least, she had a quality that made her almost too sweet. Josh didn't mind it all that much as she chattered on about this place, but the mood quickly died with one question.

"So, I've heard that your trying to prove that Tyler Joseph is guilty."

Josh's eyebrows scrunched together as he shook his head, "I'm not trying to prove anything. I have been asked to find proof on whether or not he really is doing what they say he is."

"Oh," She chirped out, clearly embarrassed by her assumption. "Well, good luck with that either way, not many people have ever gotten close to him."

"Why is that?"

She shrugs, "I guess he doesn't really let them? That and he's got this strange air to him. Whenever you finally meet him, you'll see what I'm talking about."

"When do you think that will be?"

"Well, you will most likely have to wait until he leaves his land or even steps out of the house for that matter."

"Are you not taking me to meet him?" Josh questioned, wondering what they were even doing right now.

She was guiding him down a long dirt path that was becoming more incased in trees with every step they took. Over the treetops Josh could make out a faint trail of smoke emerging from somewhere just around the bend.

"I'm just taking you to his house. I've never really spoken to him."

As they came around the corner he finally saw the house she was talking about. It was an absolutely massive white structure that had vines creeping all up the sides. The place seemed slightly rundown, but that didn't take away from its beauty. Josh also caught a glimpse of a small river just down the hill, it was starting to make since to Josh why this other boy didn't leave his home that often, he clearly had almost all that he needed here.

Debby was obviously apprehensive to approach the front door, she gazed up at the house like there was something awful inside. It didn't really make sense to Josh why a family that was clearly so well off would have such terrible rumors spread about them. Josh decided to toughen up and knock on the door.

After several minutes of no one answering Debby suggests, "Maybe they're busy, let's just get out of here."

A shuffling curtain upstairs caught Josh's eye, so he rapped on the door once more, much to Debby's displeasure. There was a faint sound of multiple feet running around inside and Josh was becoming irritated, they had to have heard him by now. He reached out to try yet again when the door was yanked open.

"What do you want?" A voice demanded and Josh had a strange feeling that he had heard it before.

When his eyes finally met the other person's, he was too stunned to speak. Tyler Joseph was the boy he had met in the woods that had slain the doe. The other seemed to realize this in the same moment as Josh did.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler questioned in an ever so slightly softer tone.

Debby jumped in before Josh could say a word, "Joshua is new to the area and I'm going around introducing him to everyone."

His golden-brown eyes squinted a little, clearly not believing her. He must remember what Josh had told him about being there for business and this was only going to make him suspicious of what that business was now.

Josh knew that he had to fix this, so he spoke up, "I'm going to be in town for a while and she insisted that I might as well get to know the people around here."

Tyler gave a small nod, "Right, well it's nice to meet you, but I have to get back to getting my siblings dressed for the day."

Over his shoulder, Josh heard Debby make a small noise in the back of her throat. His cheeks reddened as he knew that she had probably intended it to be rude, so he bowed his head slightly murmuring, "Very well, I'm sorry we disturbed you, have a nice day."

Tyler blinked, seemingly out of surprise, before gathering his composure and quietly thanking Josh. He gently shut the door, leaving Debby and Josh out on his doorstep.

"Do you see what I mean?" Debby questions after they made it back to the middle of town. "He just isn't right and it isn't even the whole family that acts like that. There's just something about Tyler that is so off putting."

"He only seemed a bit shy to me."

"I'm starting to get the feeling that you're too kind for your own good, Josh."

He shrugged, "I've been told that before, but I don't see it as that much a problem."

"It can be, there are always going to be certain people that will pick up on kindhearted nature and take advantage of it."

Josh's focus on her speaking faded away as soon as he recognized a girl in the distance. Her pale blonde hair was tied into a topknot on the back of her head instead of coming down in waves across her back. Her blue eyes were focused on the clothing she was hanging on the line, but even if she had seen him staring Josh didn't know if he could look away. She was the girl he had saw in his dream last night.

How could that even be possible? He was sure that he had never seen her before. He thought that she had just been a figment of his imagination, but yet there she was as clear as day. Maybe he had noticed her yesterday and hadn't even realized it. He didn't know how that was possible because the girl was so strikingly beautiful. Josh halfway wondered if any of these people had the ability to make unattractive children, because so far everyone his age that he had met was bewitching. Maybe that was the only real magical thing about this place.

"So, I take it that you've spotted Jenna Black." Debby remarked as she gestured in the girl's direction.

"It's nothing like that, I just thought I knew her from somewhere."

Debby's eyebrow perked up, "From where?"

Josh knew better than to confess that he had first laid eyes on her in his dreams, so he made something up. "She looked like this girl back home that I'm friends with, but it's clearly impossible for this Jenna girl to be her since the girl I know is all the way back in New York."

That caught Debby's interest, "Do you live in the city?"

"Close by, why?"

"Oh, because I have always wanted to go there. What's it like?"

Josh proceeded to give Debby as many details about his home as he could come up with, anything to keep her mind off of their previous conversation. Josh glanced back at Jenna, finding her hurrying to turn her head away. Had she been watching him?

A couple days later, Josh's father and Hugh insisted that Josh attend the trial that was to be held that morning. He was reluctant to go along, but in the end, he sat among the crowd as the court conducted questioning. It wasn't anything other than depressing as he watched men and women of varying ages sobbing and begging the judges to believe that they were innocent. Josh wished he could just sneak out of the building, find his horse, and somehow navigate his way back home. He didn't realize that this wasn't even the worst of what was to come, until they pulled out the thumbikens.

Josh had heard about them once before, but it was enough for them to stay stuck in his memory. Their purpose too awful for him to forget. Holding his breath, Clarence carried the device over to the middle-aged woman that refused to speak. As soon as she saw what he sat down on the table before her, tears rimmed her eyes. The clergyman snatched the woman's thin hand and slid it between the thick metal bars.

"Now Goodie Bryant, do you confess to these accusations of being a witch?"

She shook her head no as a teardrop fell down her cheek and Clarence gave a stiff nod before starting to twist the screws that brought the bars down on her fingers. He kept turning the knobs until she let out a cry of pain.

"Are you ready to tell us the truth?" Clarence demanded.

At that she finally shouted, "I have never done such things! I am a good woman and I follow the word of the Lord alone!"

"Then would you mind telling me why all of these victims have separately come forward to give us your name? Are they all liars, Miss Bryant?" He demanded as he gave the torture device a few more spins.

"You and I both know that those monsters are just after my husband's land! The day he died they've been at my doorstep trying to bribe me into selling it and now they are resorting to this!" She bellowed and spat in the direction of the people at the left of the room.

"What about the claw marks on my little girl's back? Would you like to explain that Ruth?" A man in the crowd demanded, jumping to his feet.

The pain Ruth Bryant was in was clearly making her delirious as she laughed at him, "It would seem to me that you don't need to look any further then your own hands, Henry."

Several people in the room gasped at her statement, but Josh didn't look to see the man's expression. He was much too focused on the way Ruth's fingertips had grown red and purple and then the fact that Clarence had yet to stop winding the handles of the thumbiken. The faint sound of crack was almost immediately drowned out by Ruth howling in agony.

"That's enough!" Bill shouted as he shoved Clarence away from the woman.

Blood seeped over the edges of the iron thumbiken and dripped onto the tabletop. Josh's stomach lurched and he bolted out of his seat, ignoring whoever was shouting after him. He had seen well enough and he wanted to be as far away from that courthouse as possible. His feet carried him well past Reverend Hugh's home and he only stopped when he reached the bank of the river.

Josh collapsed to the ground, panting heavily from all the running he had just done. He was unable to catch his breath as he began to cry, causing his whole body to heave from the struggle. He didn't even know the lady, but regardless he didn't think anybody deserved to be treated that way just to get some answers out of them. It seemed like Clarence was only after the answers he wanted and not the truth.

His hands were covering his eyes, so he jumped when he heard a small voice speak over his shoulder, "Is everything alright?"

Josh brushed away his tears before turning his head to the little brunette girl behind him. He nodded and cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I saw you running down the hill a minute ago, are you in trouble?"

"No, I just needed to get away." He explains as simply as he can, he wouldn't give this young child the burden of what he had witnessed.

She nodded as she turned to gaze into the distance before telling him, "Come with me."

Josh's eyebrows scrunched together, "Where do you want me to go?"

"Back to my house, it's about to rain."

Josh's eyes rose to the skies, finding grayish clouds in the distance, but it didn't look like storm clouds.

"Unless you want to sit out here and get wet. It's up to you." She adds as if she knew what he was thinking.

"Will your parents mind?"

She shrugged, "It's unlikely. We don't get visitors all that often anyway."

Josh surprised himself by following after her and as they moved along the side of the river, rain drops began to tap against Josh's skin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song:
> 
> Cupid Carries a Gun by Marilyn Manson

Josh tripped over his own feet when he saw where she was leading him, but he didn't want to alarm her or be too obvious about what he wanted to know.

"So, I never got your name."

"Madison, but you can call me Maddie if you like. What's yours?"

"Josh."

"Just so you know, I saw you from the window the other day, so I have a feeling that you might already think you know some things about my family."

"I've heard some stuff."

She stops and turns to him, "Do you believe it?"

Josh back to what he had watched in that courtroom and shook his head, "The longer I'm here the less I do."

She smiled softly, "I like you, you're different."

He chuckled, "Thanks, I guess?"

"Tyler might not be too happy that I have you here, so let me handle it if he says anything." She informs him and Josh was becoming aware that Maddie is fairly mature for her age.

Just as he suspected, this girl was a Joseph, and she was letting him into that house. With a pounding heart he followed her inside, but his worries were pushed to the back of his mind as he observed his surroundings. The inside of the house was just as enormous and grand as the outside, if not more so. The furniture was lavish and intricately designed and the walls were painted an inviting sky blue. The most impressive was the large harpsichord sitting beside the fireplace, Josh had never seen one in person, only as drawings in a book one of his tutors had with them. It had finely detailed carvings all over the instrument and Josh longed to hear what it might sound like.

"Would you like to have a seat? You still look a bit winded." Maddie asked as she motioned towards the cushiony chair closest to him.

Josh gingerly sat down in the chair, worried that he might hurt it somehow. The more he looked around the less he could believe that anyone in this family would practice witchcraft. Turning to the devil was usually for people that were desperate for something and as far as Josh could tell, no one here is lacking anything.

Maddie sat down on the couch across from him and adjusted her skirt before asking, "So, I've never seen you around before, did you just move here?"

Josh shook his head no.

"What you here for then?"

"My father wanted me to join him on his business trip to see if I would be interested in pursuing his work as well." Josh explains, hoping that this information would just bore her out of talking about this.

"What does he do?"

"Maddie, don't you know that it's rude to ask so many questions?" A voice calls from behind Josh and he turns to find Tyler coming down the stairs. "Just like it's rude to enter a house uninvited."

"Don't get excited, I asked him to come inside because we ran into each other by the river and he seemed like he needed a bit of cheering up."

Tyler rolled his eyes and muttered, "Are you finally learning what kind of place your in?"

"What do you mean?" Josh question as his gaze followed Tyler across the living room towards the fireplace.

"That this is a town of sheep. In this town people will trust the popular opinion first before they apply any logic to what they are being told. If it fits the story they have in their mind, then it must be true. All can anyone can hope for is to have the popular opinion on their side. Most of the time if you don't, you're as good as dead."

"I guess you know what's going on at the courthouse today?"

"It's been like clockwork for the past couple of months, they've been on warpath over witch paranoia. I'm starting to think that they believe that the devil himself is hiding here in this tiny, meaningless town."

"So, you don't agree with them?"

"Not in the slightest, besides what would Satan want with a place like this? Nothing ever happens here." Tyler states and Maddie nods along.

"If you all hate it here so much, why don't you get out of here?"

"We can't." Maddie pipes up.

"I think we'll have to save that story for another time." Tyler cuts in when he catches the look of interest on Josh's features. "The sun's going to be setting soon and it'll be difficult for you to find your way back from out here. We don't need any more false stories about this family if you were to go missing."

Josh's mouth dried out a bit at the thought, something about Tyler really was peculiar. The way he spoke, carried himself, and even just the look on his face was somehow off-putting. Despite that, Tyler appeared harmless enough, but Josh knew better than to find comfort in that assumption.

"Right, well, it was wonderful meeting you, Maddie. Thank you for your kindness and hospitality." Josh states as he rises to his feet. "And Tyler?"

He waited until Tyler met his eyes before continuing, "Thank you for allowing me into your home."

Tyler gave him a stiff nod before guiding Josh to the entrance. Josh was honestly surprised when Tyler gave him a cloak off of the coat rack on the wall.

"It's not much, but should shield you from the rain. It looks like it's let up a lot." Tyler tells him as he opens the door, revealing that the rain had turned into a drizzle. "You can keep that until we see each other again."

"How do you know that will even happen?"

"I have a feeling it will."

Since he could only hold the cloak to cover him, Josh ended up getting somewhat wet. Tyler's statement about them meeting again gave Josh a small sense of hope. He didn't want to see Tyler's family lose him over made up stories and outrageous lies. As much as Josh didn't want to shoulder the responsibility, he knew that he was probably the one person that was willing to save Tyler from torture and most likely certain death.

When he made it back to the Reverend's house, Bill barreled over to his son the moment he stepped through the door. He embraced Josh tightly, uncaring about the dampness of his clothes.

"Where did you go?" Bill demanded as he released Josh. "Who gave you the cloak?"

Josh debated if he should tell his father where he had been, but something told him not to, so he lied, "This is Debby's, I just had to get out of there."

Bill smiled softly as he nodded, "I understand, that trial got totally out of hand. The courtroom broke out into a frenzy after Clarence broke Goodwife Bryant's hand. It was probably best that you ran away when you did. I'm so sorry that you had to witness all of that."

"What was the verdict?"

His father dropped his head, "Guilty of conspiring with the devil."

Josh's pulse quickened, "What are they going to do with her?"

"They haven't decided yet, but she's being held in prison until they do. I did all that I could to persuade them otherwise, but there was no use. They put her through so much that she was willing to say whatever they wanted to hear and started saying that she had been plotting with Satan for the demise of the community."

"Has something like this ever happened on a case of yours before?"

"Sadly, yes. Charleston is still a young town and a lot of these people don't trust each other just yet. Not everyone is going to have noble intentions during these trials because they don't have any sort of bond to those they are accusing. The accused may have something that they want and those people are probably willing to do whatever they have to just to get it."

"That's monstrous." Josh states with a look of horror.

"Sometimes people can be more awful than the creatures they make up in their heads."

Josh nodded solemnly, but didn't say anything else. Grief for Ruth Bryant and the others that have had to suffer like her, squeezed at his heart. He truly didn't understand why people treat each other so badly sometimes.

"Bill, would you mind having a look at these notes?" Hugh called from the dining room.

Bill shuffled out of the room with a sigh, "That poor woman will never be able to use that hand again."

"Do you see why I so desperately needed your help?" Hugh questioned frantically.

Josh didn't hear his father's response as he snuck up to the guest bedroom, prepared for another night of fitful sleep. All night, he dreamt of the sound of that woman's screams and the way her fingers cracked under pressure.

Josh found himself wondering just when he would see Tyler again. He hoped that it would be under better circumstances than last time. If this was what Josh was like as an investigator, he knew that he wasn't a good one.

He gazed out at the cloudless sky as he sat on the front porch, sipping on a cup of tea Hugh had given him. It was probably the first time he had felt relaxed since he arrived. His attention was pulled away from the heavens when Debby approached him, fidgeting with the braid of her light brown hair.

"Hey there, Josh." She greets him with a warm smile and a tiny wave.

"Hey Debby, what are you up to today?" He asked as he noticed the pale-yellow bathing gown she was dressed in.

"Not much since it's so hot out here, but I came by to see if you wanted to join me for a swim in the lake."

"Sure, I'd love to." He says as he stands from his seat.

He opened the front door to let his father know that he was heading out, and from somewhere upstairs Bill's only answer was to be careful. Josh didn't have any type of swimwear, so he planned to simply dip his feet in the water. Debby wrapped her cloak around her form as they traveled to the lake. They went west down the river bank, through a section of trees, and down a steep rocky hill before they reached their destination. From the shade of the tree branches the area was a bit cooler and as Josh gazed around the large body of water, he saw that not too far off there was a little waterfall.

Much to his astonishment the bathing gown Debby wore wasn't like the one's he had seen in the past. It became clear as she waded into the water and the material clung to her bodice instead of it retaining its shape like most gowns would.

She must have caught him gawking because she said, "I like to make my own clothing sometimes, so this gown is a bit different. I honestly prefer it though. It's less restrictive."

Josh only nodded along, too stunned to speak over her unabashed behavior.

"Are you getting in or what?" She asked with a chuckle and splashed some water at him.

Josh removed his shoes, but kept on his stockings and he only dipped his toe in the water before Debby protested.

"Oh, come on. It's just you and me out here. I won't die from fright if I see your bare legs." She reassures him.

Josh went along with it, mostly because he hated the feeling of damp stockings. Debby swam up to the rock he was perched on and tickled the bottom of Josh's foot. He let out a laugh of surprise and jerked his foot away.

"That tickles!" He shouted as she went for the other one.

She grinned at him and grasped his ankle murmuring, "Come in here, the water feels wonderful."

She reminded him of a siren as she floated there, her dripping fingers still wrapped around his leg while she pouted up at him. Despite the little voice in the back of his head telling him to stay put, he slid off the rock and into the water below. Before he knew what was happening, she through her arms around his shoulders, pressing her soaked body against his as she hugged him. He gave a nervous laugh as he returned the gesture. She leant back with her arms still around him, staring at him for a couple of seconds.

"Do you like me, Josh?"

"Well, yeah, you've been the nicest person I've met here so far."

Debby smiled at him sweetly, then stood up on her toes and gave him a gentle kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song:
> 
> Buried in Water by Dead Man's Bones

Josh was hesitant to return the kiss because he didn't feel anything from it. Debby was a beautiful girl, but he just didn't see her the way she must have seen him. At the same time, he felt bad about not at least humoring her. He pressed his lips to hers, but quickly moved back.

"What was that for?" He asked with a stunned laugh.

Her deep brown eyes sparkled as she murmured, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist it anymore."

"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting that."

She let out an airy laugh before questioning, "Does that mean I can do it again?"

Josh fumbled for a polite way to tell her no. He really liked being friends with Debby, but that was it.

An expression of shock and confusion suddenly took over Debby's face. Josh worried that he might have upset her somehow without saying a word, then he noticed that her gaze was directed at something behind him. The look in her eyes was enough to make him not want to peek behind him. He slowly turned around and what he saw made his jaw drop. 

Down by the waterfall, Jenna could be seen standing under the spray, completely nude. She was apparently totally unaware of the audience she now had. This girl was almost stranger than she had been in Josh's nightmare.

"I think we should leave." Debby murmured, but not in the jealous way Josh expected.

Instead she sounded afraid. It was a mind-bottling thing to see, but he didn't understand what about it would make her fearful. At the same time, everything about their visit to the lake had been making Josh uncomfortable, so he didn't argue against her wish. They hastily got themselves together and made a beeline back to town. Thankfully their clothes dried quickly from the heat on their walk back, so no one asked any questions.

Josh told Debby a quick and awkward goodbye before heading back to Hugh's house. He couldn't stop wondering what would possess Jenna to do what she did.

He had nearly made it back to the house when he heard a horrified cry.

"It's a beast! It's an abomination!" A woman shrieked as she dashed out of the barn to the right.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of what she was carrying. There was a freshly born lamb in her arms, but it was unlike any Josh had ever seen before. The woman flung the tiny animal to the dirt and sobbed into her hands, despite the filth that covered them. Josh was stunned at the sight before him, he wondered if he might have somehow be dreaming.

The newborn lamb had two heads.

The woman's husband came running out after her and swiftly guided her from sight. The baby animal laid there, blinking and gasping for air. All the other on lookers slowly filed away, whispering about it being the work of Satan. Josh remained rooted to the spot, gazing down at the fantastical sight. He mentally struggled over whether or not he should leave the lamb there to die. He came to a conclusion and glanced around him to make sure he was alone, before scooping up the small animal.

Josh recalled a modest pond several houses back, so he shielded the creature with his arms and carried it off. Making sure that he wasn't seen first, Josh snuck over to the pool of water. He bathed the lamb as best as he could, but he did manage to get it fairly clean. After that Josh was lost on what to do next, he didn't think he could just take it back to Hugh's house without any issues.

While frantically trying to come up with a solution, the lamb struggled to its feet. Josh could only blink at the sight, it was behaving like a normal lamb and it was a bit baffling to see. It bleated at him and he pet both heads, thinking to himself that it was actually sort cute.

"What are we going to do with you little ones?" He questioned and only one let out a baa. "You're probably hungry, aren't you?"

Josh crept back to Hugh's house and shouted into it to see if they were there. Thankfully he didn't receive a response, so he quickly tied the lamb to the fence post out back and surrounded the animal with flour bags so no one would spot it. Josh slipped back over to the barn that woman had come out of, discovering that it was empty. He found the ewe that had clearly just given birth and grabbed the milk bottle that had been sitting on a shelf on the wall. Josh didn't feel right about stealing, but he was more concerned with the lamb's wellbeing.

He had only ever milked a sheep once before to help out his cousin, so he was apprehensive to attempt it again. The ewe stood there, simply watching Josh and thankfully she didn't put up a fight as he retrieved milk from her teat. He whispered a thank you to the sheep before ducking out of the barn and running back to the lamb's aid. He tried to feed the silent head first, but he quickly realized that it wasn't responding to anything he did, so he turned to the other. It drank from the bottle happily and as soon as it was fed, it lied down to take a nap.

Josh found an empty flour sack and draped it over the little thing, hoping that it would help keep it warm. Josh sat down next to the odd little sheep, wondering what to name it or what to even do with it. He let out a long sigh, thinking about how this town has yet to let him get a moment's rest. Since the day he got to Charleston it had been one thing after another and all Josh wanted was to be back at home, enjoying the simpler life. He had never even wanted to come on this journey in the first place and he would do anything to go back to avoid it all together. 

Over the next few days his only focus was taking care of the two headed lamb and still the other head remained unresponsive. Josh guessed that meant that the other wasn't even really alive, it was sort of like having a useless extra limb. It was creepy though when it would blink every now and then, or open its mouth, but it would never take any milk.

It didn't take long for his father to notice that Josh hung around the house a lot more. Josh hoped that he just wouldn't say anything about it after what he was made to witness in that courtroom, but his wishes were dashed away when he stepped back inside from feeding the lamb one morning.

"So, how's your part of the investigation going, Joshua?"

He knew better than to lie to his father about something like this, so he confessed, "I haven't been having much luck with it truthfully."

"Why do you think that it?"

"That boy is a highly shut off individual and he's been making it clear that he wants nothing to do with me."

"Now, don't let that stop you. Since when have you ever had a problem making friends with someone?"

Josh shook his head, "It's not like that, he's different."

"Well, just go about it slowly. The best thing I can advise you do is let him pursue the friendship first. Eventually, he'll give you what you need out of him."

Josh wished that it was actually as easy as his father made it sound. Josh had a feeling though that gaining Tyler's friendship would be nothing short of a miracle. 

"Alright, I'll give that a try." He says just to reassure his father, even though he doubted it would work.

Bill nodded with an encouraging smile before going up the stairs and calling behind him, "You should get changed, we need to be heading to the courthouse for another trial."

Josh felt his stomach twist with dread, the last thing he wanted to do was watch another awful event in that courtroom. Despite this he trudged his way up to his guest room and did as his father told him. Josh's imagination was supplying him plenty of awful things as he got dressed and by the time they were on their way to the courthouse, he was a ball of nerves.

He didn't miss out on the way people watched him out of the corners of their eyes or the ripple of whispers that trailed after him. He sat down beside Hugh as they waited for the trial to begin, wringing his hands anxiously the whole time. Josh fretted over just what torture the suspects might be subjected to this time around. The judges filed in and then a couple of minutes later, and so did the three suspects. Josh was floored to see the woman that had tossed out the two headed lamb.

Josh was confused to see her there with hands bound and an expression that was even more distraught than the last time he laid eyes on her. As far as he knew she didn't deserve to be there, not over the animal at least, he knew in his heart that it had to have been out of her control. Could there have been something else that brought her here?

She was the second to step up to the stand, since the first woman pleaded guilty in the matter of seconds with tears streaming down her face. Josh saw that her lips were moving in silent prayer the whole time.

"Now, Goodwife Hill." Clarence called to the whispering woman. "There have been claims, even an account from your own husband, that your sheep birthed a lamb that possessed two heads. Is that correct?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she nodded, "Yes, sir.  It was a terrible sight to behold."

"The members of the court were also informed that since the day the lamb was brought onto this earth that no one has seen it since."

"The same goes for me, your honor. I just assumed a wild dog must have eaten it."

"Well, Mrs. Hill, we have reason to believe that you intended that animal to be born the way it was and that you are harboring it somewhere in secret. It is suspected that you did this so you may both do the Devil's bidding."

Josh's stomach dropped at those words, even if she had managed to make the lamb be born with a deformity, she wasn't hiding it. He thought about the little animal hidden behind Reverend Thompson's house and how he had been caring for it. He didn't think it was an evil being, just an oddity. Josh didn't know if he should confess to someone that he was the one who had the baby sheep or if he should save his neck by keeping that information to himself. He was fairly certain that if he did own up to it that it would cost his father's livelihood. Holding his tongue seemed to be the best option.

Still he felt the weight of his guilt crushing him when they proclaimed Goodwife Hill guilty. They agreed that if she couldn't show evidence of the lamb, dead or alive, then they had no other choice.

As soon as court was adjourned Josh hurried back to Hugh's house. He knew that a good portion of the town's people were in or around the courthouse, so Josh could do what he needed to with as little prying eyes as possible. He grabbed the cloak Tyler had lent him and made sure to conceal the lamb beneath it before heading off. He had to find it a new place to hide or risk someone finding the animal.

The lamb seemed content in Josh's hold as he carried it along. The baby sheep had been fed before leaving and Josh made sure to grab another bottle of the mother's milk before beginning the journey. Josh walked until was deep in the forest, trying to find any sort of safe place for the lamb to reside. Every spot he considered had some sort of hazard that came along with it. He started to think about just turning back and finding a way to ask his father for help, but that was when he happened upon a peculiar little hut.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song:
> 
> Snake Song by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan

In any other setting the small wooden structure would have been charming, but out here it was unsettling. It appeared to be abandoned, but Josh wasn't so sure. He warily approached the door and knocked. As soon as he did, the door pushed open, but it was from the force of his hand. He peeked inside, finding that it consisted of a small table with two chairs, walls completely lined with empty shelves, and a surprisingly large fireplace at the back. The room was also covered in cobwebs and a thick layer of dust, no one had set foot in here in quite some time.

Josh decided that this would work well as a safe place to keep the lamb. He made sure to feed the lamb once more before trekking back from where he had come. Even though the walk was a bit far, Josh felt that it was worth the precaution. He had witnessed these people hurt each other enough for his taste and the thought of them harming this innocent animal too.

It went on like that for days, the moment Josh was free from his duties that his father gave him he would leave for the hut. It should have seemed strange to him to enjoy the company of an animal more than people, yet there he was. He would speak to the ever so small thing as he gave it the bottle. The conscious head would blink up at him as it ate, as if the lamb were listening. 

Josh found himself pondering what would happen to this strange creature once he had to return to New York. Could something like a sheep be released into the wild? Would something so docile and innocent even be able to protect itself from danger? Josh had so many worries for the lamb, but no solutions to them and it frustrated him deeply. He glanced out the small murky window, noticed that the sunlight had gained an orange fiery glow. He knew that he should get going.

He stepped out of the hut, pushing the large rock he had found the other day against the door to keep the lamb in and predators out. He dreaded going back through the woods, it always made him uneasy as he proceeded to the town. When he had everything in place, Josh turned to leave, but the sight he beheld made him trip and fall against the hut. The lamb let out a bleat of fear at the sudden jarring of its home.

A small boy stood before Josh, appearing just as confused to see Josh there. He had light brown hair and to be at least seven years old, he was a cute kid, but that wasn't what scared Josh. Why was he all the way out here by himself?

So, he voiced his concern, "What are you doing all the way out here? Are you lost?"

The child only shook his head no before saying, "This place used to be my mom's."

That piece of information struck Josh as odd, "What did she do in there?"

"Stuff with plants, they were always so pretty. Even outside here it was pretty."

So, she had been a gardener. Josh gazed at the boy, feeling as if he had seen him before.

"What were you doing in there?" The boy asked as he tried to look around Josh.

Josh didn't know what to tell him, but he knew that he couldn't let the kid see the lamb. He feared if he did that, he would basically be sending the lamb to slaughter. He frantically raked his brain for an excuse to give the younger male, but what he came up with was weak at best.

"I was just exploring. I'm sorry for disturbing your mother's place."

"It's alright, no one comes here anymore, so you and your pet can stay."

Josh's eyes blew wide, how did he know about the lamb? Had he slipped in before when Josh wasn't there? That didn't make sense, every time Josh left that hut it was nearly sundown. Had he been watching from some crack in the structure while Josh had paid one of his visits to the animal? His thoughts raced as he tried to come up with an answer that made sense to him, but the child ended up giving him an answer.

"I saw you bring the lamb here. It had two heads, didn't it?"

Josh knew that there was no way to deny what the boy saw, so he gave in and nodded in response. Instead of fear, the boy's expression beamed.

"Can I see it?" He asked excitedly.

Josh was confused by his reaction, but at the same time relieved that the child didn't freak out. 

"Sure." He agreed and moved the rock out of the way of the door. 

Josh pushed open the door, revealing the lamb laying there on the flour sacks Josh had given it as a makeshift bed. The creature lifted its heads when it saw that Josh had returned. The boy slowly approached the lamb, not as if he was afraid, but as to not scare it instead. He kneeled down to its level and gently stroked its head. 

"He doesn't feel as soft as he looks." The kid remarks.

Josh let out a small laugh, "Yeah, it's sort of strange, isn't it? So, what's your name?"

"Jay and your Josh." 

Josh's heart about leapt out of his throat at that, but then Jay added, "My sister Maddie talks about you sometimes."

So, that was where Josh recognized him from. Now that he thought about it, all of the Joseph kids he had met resembled each other.

"What does she say?"

"Only good stuff, she said you are a lot nicer than anybody that lives here." He explains as he continues to pet the lamb. "It seems true to me if you do all this to take care of a funny little lamb."

Josh shrugged, "I just don't want anyone to hurt it."

Jay nodded in agreement, "Did you give it a name already?"

"I haven't actually."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl."

"You should call her Lucy." Jay tells him.

"Why that name?"

Jay shrugged, but his voice sounded small, "I like it."

"Alright, her name is Lucy then."

Jay nodded in satisfaction, before saying, "She can stay at my house if you want. It's less lonely there."

"Don't you think your parents would dislike having a farm animal inside of the house?"

"Tyler and Zack probably wouldn't like it, but we could keep Lucy out in the barn with our cows."

Josh liked the idea of not having to leave the lamb now known as Lucy by itself for long periods of time. He would have to worry about her a lot less that way.

"Alright, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Thank you for helping me, Jay."

"We should go now before it gets too dark." Jay states as he lifts the lamb into his arms even though it was nearly the same size as him. 

Josh couldn't help smiling softly at the sight, more and more it was being proven to him that the Joseph family were all kind-hearted people. He just needed to get the rest of the town to agree with him. 

By the time they reached the house, dusk had fallen and the dim light from the house reminded Josh of a beacon. Jay lead Josh to the barn out back and laid Lucy on a bed of hay before giving her a kiss on both heads.

"Alright, well I best be heading back. I don't want to worry my father too much by being gone too long." Josh states as he holds out his hand for the younger boy to shake. "I appreciate all the help you've given Lucy and me today."

Jay's hand was so tiny compared to Josh's when they shook hands. Josh made sure that Jay got inside the house before he turned to leave.

"Hold on!" A voice shouted behind him and Josh turned to find that it belonged to Tyler. He was holding a glowing lantern. "I'm walking you back."

Josh tried to hide his astonishment even though his face was only a shadow in the darkness. Tyler strode over to him and Josh told him a soft thank you as Tyler motioned for him to follow. They walked in silence for a long while, only the sound of crickets and their footfalls breaking up the quiet. The trees surrounding them casted eerie shadows in the firelight from the lantern as it touched them. Josh was honestly glad that he was alone, he could almost feel unknown eyes watching them as they passed. Having Tyler there was sort of comforting. 

When they finally reached the town, Josh expected Tyler to turn right back around, but he remained by Josh's side until they reached Hugh's house. Josh was unsure of what to say to him as they stood outside on the porch.

"Will you be alright on your way back by yourself?" Josh questioned as he glanced back at the blackness of the night. Josh suddenly recalled that he still had on the cloak Tyler had let him borrow and swiftly removed it to hold it out to the other. "Thank you, for the cloak and accompanying me here."

Tyler's lip twitched as if he was resisting a smile as he said, "You're welcome, well have a goodnight."

Tyler turned to head off into the night and Josh watched until his lantern was only a speck of light in the distance. Josh opened the door and as soon as his father did his father glanced up from the papers in his lap.

"I heard you out there talking with someone, was it Debby?" Bill questioned as he thumbed through his notes.

Josh shook his head as he did his best to fight of the feeling of pride bubbling inside of him. "No, sir. I was speaking with Tyler Joseph."

His father beamed at that. "Well, look at you and you said that you couldn't befriend that boy. I had faith that you would, thank the Lord." 

Josh nodded along, even though he and Tyler were far from what he would call friends. Tyler seemed to tolerate him at most, but he decided not to let his father know that. He excused himself to bed before he could be asked any questions, on the claim that he had a long day. Bill wished him a goodnight and turned his focus back to his work. 

For once in a long time, he didn't have any nightmares that night, but it did feature a hooded figure clutching at lantern humming an odd little melody as they drifted by. In his dream, Josh had intense urge to follow them, but his feet refused to allow him that. It was horribly frustrating for some reason, but nothing else came out of the dream, just that tune drifting through the air even into his waking hours.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song:
> 
> Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars

 

Josh debated if he should go back to the Joseph house to feed the lamb the next day and decided that he should since they wouldn't have any milk for Lucy. He snuck over to retrieve more milk from the lamb's mother and headed straight for the Joseph's barn. He found Lucy bleating and pacing around in the hay, demanding to be fed. Josh had to admit that he spoiled her quite a bit. She let out an excited sounding baa when she caught sight of Josh and trotted over to him, sniffing up at him for the bottle.

The sound of the barn door creaking open made Josh swiftly raise his head to find Maddie slipping inside.

"I saw you coming up the path a few minutes ago." She explained as she crouched beside Josh while he fed Lucy. 

He sent her a warm smile asking, "So, how are you today?"

"I'm alright, I came out here to see if you would like to have lunch with us after your done taking care of Lucy. Jay begged me to ask."

"Are you sure that your mother and father won't mind my intrusion?"

She bit her lip before saying, "We need to talk about them actually."

Maddie's remark caused Josh some concern, what could there possibly be to discuss? Despite his hesitation, Josh waited patiently to hear what Madison had to say to him.

"My mother and father, they passed away a while ago. Tyler takes care of us now or at least he does his best to." She explains, her gaze holding Josh's as if she wanted to take in every detail of his reaction. 

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Josh tells her sincerely. 

"I appreciate it." 

He was stunned, Tyler took care of two children by himself even though he was still so young as well? Josh didn't see how he could manage it, but they all appeared to be well looked after, so Tyler was doing it somehow. Is that why people thought he was practicing witchcraft? Because he found a way to keep his family alive without his parents?

As soon as Lucy was done with her bottle, Josh was led into the house. An unfamiliar smell filled Josh's nose and he could hear hissing coming from the kitchen. Before he could go look at what was being made Jay came bounding towards the front door with a grin on his face.

"Hi Josh!" He greeted cheerfully as he motioned him into the dining room. "Tyler and Zack are making us all fish."

Josh was able to catch a glimpse into the kitchen finding Tyler and a boy with black hair that Josh assumes is Zack working over a casket iron stove. The open window allowed the smoke to escape as the sun cascaded down on Tyler's features, giving him a golden look.

"Put a small bit of the chilies in too." Zack instructs Tyler as he moves the pan around over the flame.

Tyler nodded as he tossed in some of the small red chilies and then licked at his fingertips remarking, "They're slightly sweet."

"Come on Josh, you can sit over here." Maddie calls after him with a tiny smile tugging at her lips.

Josh then realized that he had been watching Tyler for what would be considered too long to be appropriate. He hurried after Maddie, taking a seat in the chair she had pulled out for him. He thanked her as she took a seat beside him while Jay took the other. Josh listened to Jay happily chatter until Tyler and Zack carried in the food. They had made mashed potatoes, fried squash, and the seasoned fish. Josh's mouth watered over the wonderful smell that wafted into the room as they placed the dishes on the table. 

Josh couldn't help stealing glances over at Tyler, baffled over the fact that this teenage boy was somehow managing to shoulder such a heavy burden. Tyler's guarded behavior made so much more sense to him now, he was trying to keep what little family he had left together. 

He was puzzled when no one else moved to bow their head in prayer after the food was served. He glanced around the table at the rest of the family, wondering what was happening.

Even Jay was confused, but not for the same reasons. "What is Josh doing?"

"He's saying grace." Zack explained and then added, "We should join him."

Tyler nodded in agreement with an odd little smile before dipping his head down, causing his siblings to follow suit. The prayer was silent, unlike what Josh was used to at his family's table. He didn't remark on it, out of fear of being rude. He picked his head back up when he was done, gazing around as the other's heads rose once more. 

"Are we allowed to eat now?" Jay asked in a whisper to Josh.

Josh nodded as he smiled softly, even though on the inside he was still puzzled over the fact that Jay and the others clearly didn't make saying grace a normal part of their routine. A part of Josh burned to question why that was, but he held his tongue. He didn't want to risk Tyler finding out what he was really supposed to be doing here. The grace issue was an odd one, but that didn't immediately mean that they practiced witchcraft.

In fact, the longer Josh sat there, the more he could see how close they were. It made sense to him, they were all that each other had. They were a family of orphans in a town that basically hated them. He could see from the way Tyler helped Jay check his fish for bones and how he had helped Zack make the meal, that this was why no one in the town barely ever saw him. He was too busy playing parent for his three siblings. Tyler had something much more important to deal with other than what the people outside of this house thought of him. 

"So, Josh, how old are you anyway?" Maddie asked as she poked at her fried squash, clearly trying to stall having to eat the yellow vegetable. 

"I'm eighteen." 

Jay beamed at that exclaiming, "Tyler is going to be eighteen soon too!" 

"In a couple of months. Don't let him getting big head by making him go around thinking that he's truly a man already." Zack adds with a playful grin. 

"Does that mean Josh is?" Jay questioned before turning to stare at Josh like he was something to marvel at.

"Technically, but I certain don't feel like one." Josh answers with a nervous laugh. 

Tyler finally speaks up at this, "Age isn't what makes someone mature, it's by their actions."

Josh nodded in agreement, "I haven't done all that much in my life other than go to school, help my family around the house, and farm. So, I feel like I have a long way to go before I can be considered an adult."

"Like get a wife." Zack points out with a knowing grin. 

"I think you seem very mature." Maddie remarked, giving Josh a reassuring smile. 

Josh returned the smile politely, but despite her words Josh knew that he was still just a teenager. He had yet to do anything that he thought would make him qualified to be considered mature. Thankfully, the conversation shifted to Jay being excited that the black berry bushes appeared to be ready for picking, so they could have jam soon. 

Josh quietly sat there eating and listening to the others, thinking back to his own siblings as he wondered what they might be up to. He wondered if they missed him just as much as he missed them. Every time he was around the Joseph's it made him appreciate his whole family even more, for at least they were all alive.

Two days after his lunch with the Joseph's, Josh woke up to find the guest bedroom he slept in was sweltering and the sheets clung to his sticky skin as he kicked them off. He got up and got dressed for the day in a heady daze thanks to the heat. When he made his way downstairs he found a ripe red apple with a note from his father underneath on the dining table. It said that they had gone to the prison to speak with some of the accused and that he figured Josh could use a break. 

Josh was grateful that his father decided to leave him out of this one and he knew exactly what he was going to do with his free time. He was going to head down to the lake.

Josh enjoyed the lake much more when he was alone. He could stick his bare feet in the water without any worries. He shut his eyes to lift his face to the sun to warm it, down by the water it was much cooler and it allowed him to actually enjoy the hot day. It was starting to seem like the only time Josh could relax was when he was by himself.

As if someone over heard that thought, voices grew louder from several feet down the water's edge. Josh let out a sigh as he cracked his eyes open to find Debby's father, John guiding some children into the water.

"You are all children of God, but no one is born without sin. So, if you wish, come receive Christ as your savior and I will help you with washing away the evil." John tells the cluster of children surrounding him.

"Why do we have to do this, Reverend?" A young black-haired boy asks.

"I don't wish to scare you all, but there are forces at play in this town that you can't face without protection from the Lord. I don't want to see your innocence tarnished by the hands of Satan."

Every child's eyes blew wide, if John didn't intend to frighten them, he was doing an awful job at it. They all shuffled around, but a small red headed girl was the first to step up. Josh watched one after another get deeper into the water to receive their baptism. Once it was finally over the kids all stood there, dripping and shivering.

It appeared like they were all preparing to head back to town, when Josh and the Reverend noticed something at the same time. Maddie and Jay strolling through the brush as she hummed to herself and picked blackberries. A strange expression of determination crossed over John's features.

"Madison Joseph, my dear? Would you mind coming over here for just a moment?"

Maddie barely spared him a glance, but Jay happily approached the man. John gave the boy an odd sort of smile as he pats Jay's shoulder.

"How are you this evening, my boy?"

"I'm good, sir. Thank you."

"Have you ever considered getting a baptism before?" John questions as he guided Jay in the direction of the water.

This had Josh getting to his feet, something about this he didn't like.

"I don't know what those are."

"Oh, well of course not. Would you like me to teach you about them?"

"Sure, I guess."

Josh didn't pay any attention to the stares he was receiving from the other children. Modesty be damned. He had to get Jay away from that man. Josh could tell that his intentions weren't as pure as he was trying to make them out to be. 

The man grasped Jay's arms and dunked him underwater, but unlike the other children he didn't let Jay up right after. After a few seconds Jay began to thrash around in the water and the other kids started shouting.

Josh frantically searched the area for Maddie, but she was nowhere in sight. Throwing caution to the wind, Josh sprinted over to the scene and shoved the Reverend away from Jay and hoisted the boy from the water. 

"What on earth are you doing?" John demanded as he got back to his feet and wiped the water from his eyes.

"What am I doing? You were just trying to drown a child!" Josh shouted as he rushed towards the bank of the lake. 

"With the amount of sin he was born into I was simply doing the boy a favor." John states as he follows Josh out of the water.

"So, in your mind that justifies murder? How does that make you any different from what you say they are?"

"You're playing a dangerous game boy." John warns and then his eyes dart up to the trees. "Come on, children we need to be heading back to the church."

Josh turned to watch them go as he continued to hold a shaking Jay in his arms. The blond boy clutched at Josh's shirt as if he feared that the Reverend might try to shove him back into the lake.

"It's alright, it's over." Josh whispered to Jay. 

Then he saw what made John leave so quickly and why Maddie had disappeared, she had run off to get Tyler. The boy clambered down the bank with his sister on his heels.

"I could hear everything on my way down here, is he okay?" Tyler questioned as he held out his arms for his youngest brother.

Josh handed him over and Jay went willingly, baring his face into Tyler neck as soon as he had the little boy. 

"He saved me." Jay mumbled without lifting his head. "That evil old man was trying to drown me and he saved me."

Tyler's eyes widened as he asked, "What did you do that for?"

"Because I had to." Josh answered like it should have been abundantly clear.

Tyler nodded, "You should come back to the house with us, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to head out by yourself just yet."

Josh nodded as well, Tyler's remark made him nervous, so he decided to do as he was told. Tyler lead them all back to the huge house and hurried upstairs to change Jay out of his wet clothes. Maddie handed Josh a scratchy flour sack to dry off with and sat down in a seat, staring down at her hands.

"That was really brave you back there." She murmured.

Josh shrugged, "I just couldn't watch him try to hurt your brother like that."

Several minutes later, Tyler came back down, still carrying Jay with him. Tyler's eyes betrayed how tired he was as he sat down in front of Josh on the floor, with his back against the wall. He ran his tanned fingers through Jay's dirty blond hair as he studied the boy's face. 

"If I had a way to get us out of here, I would've done it the day after they killed my father." Tyler confesses in a low voice.

A shiver went down Josh's spine before a wave of nausea came over him at Tyler's words. He couldn't believe that he had been helping people that would kill someone over superstition. Josh knew that he had to do whatever he could to prove Tyler's innocence, because without him, his siblings most likely wouldn't survive.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song:
> 
> Storm Comin' by The Wailin' Jennys

Josh was curious now, how had their mother died? Had the town take her away too? Josh worried his lip between his teeth as he pondered over it. Thinking back to the letter his father received that prompted this trip, he recalled Hugh mentioning that several hangings had already occurred. What if one of them had been the Joseph's father? Or mother? Or even both of them?

He lifted his eyes back up to Tyler, truly taking in just how young the other boy was. No one should suffer the loss of both parents at such a tender age, and yet these four had.

"I'm so sorry." Josh says, speaking to all of them, as his voice became strangled with emotion.

Tyler's dark eyes studied him for quiet moment before he bowed his head slightly murmuring, "Your father should have never made you come here."

Josh's skin prickled, "Why?"

"It's so clear that you don't want to be in this town. Maddie told me that you're supposed to be working with your father while you're here, but none of us barely ever see you with him."

Josh held his breath, was he that bad at hiding all of this? Did Tyler already know what he had been sent out here to do? Could he sense the way Josh despised the task now?

Tyler continued, "If your father had just left you at home you never would have run into us and you wouldn't be a part of this mess that we're all in. You would be safe right now."

"You think I'm in danger?"

"You might be."

"So, what should I do?"

"Before I would've suggested that you stay as far away from us as possible, but I don't think that will do any good now, considering." He explains as a smirk turned up his lips in an unsettling way. "Now I think it's more your choice on what you should do."

"I should tell my father what happened at the lake."

Tyler let out a dry laugh, "Do you honestly think he would believe that a preacher would try to drown a child? Especially in front of a group of people?"

"That's even better, I'll have those children as witnesses."

"They won't say a word against that man. By making them fear God, he also made them fear himself as well and he vies for that sense of power their fear brings him."

"How do you know that?"

"If you live here long enough, you start to learn a lot of things that will surprise you."

Yet again, Tyler walked Josh back to the Reverend's house, but this time around it was barely twilight. Josh was unsure if he should find Tyler's need to accompany him amusing or concerning. The closer to town they got the more Josh could feel the sense of tension radiate from Tyler. He then wondered if the other boy didn't just hate this place, but if he also feared it. Josh peered over at him, watching as Tyler's eyes darted all over the place, believing that he might be right.

Just like the time before, as soon as Josh reached Hugh's doorstep, Tyler began to make his way back towards his home, this time he only waved goodbye. Josh watched with an ache lingering in his chest as he watched the boy go. It must be hell to live in a place where he can't trust the people around him. In every step that he takes, Tyler has to make sure that someone isn't behind him, waiting for the moment to strike.

The headache that roused Josh from his sleep the next morning didn't receive any relief when his dad came pounding on the bedroom door, but his words had Josh hurrying out of bed despite that.

"Joshua, Deborah is here to see you. She said that she needs to speak with you as soon as possible."

Ideas began to frantically race through Josh's head, could she be here because of what happened with her father or was it about that kiss they had shared? Neither of those things sounded particularly appealing to him. Swiftly getting himself together, Josh's sense of dread only seemed to bloom. The blackness of his choose attire reminded him of a funeral, which was exactly what he felt like he was sending himself in to.

He stepped out of the bedroom, swallowing hard when he caught a glimpse of Debby rocking back and forth on her feet downstairs. He knew that he couldn't stall any longer, so he mustered up some courage and descended the stairs. She sent him an uneasy sort of smile that made his stomach churn a bit when they were face to face.

He returned the smile weakly, "Good morning, Debby."

"Good morning to you too, so how have you been? I haven't seen you around much lately."

"I've been alright, just working with my father on the trails." He explained, which was somewhat true.

He still knew not to mention that he was basically spending most of his time with the Joseph's for reasons other than hunting for clues about their suspected witchcraft.

She nodded along, clearly just trying to be polite, before asking, "Would you care to take a walk with me?"

All Josh really wanted to do was go back to bed, pull the covers over his head, and attempt to ease his headache. Despite his true wishes, Josh nodded anyway. He followed her out the door to discover that it was a bright and cloudless day, which was the type of day Josh usually enjoyed. The aching in his skull only doubled in the sunlight and he pressed his fingertips against his eyelids, trying to find some relief.

That was when Josh decided to voice one of his requests, "Do you mind if we go this way?"

Debby casts her gaze towards the wooded path he had nodded at, hoping that she would agree. She nibbled at her bottom lip as she considered it, but she then wordlessly made her way to the trees. Josh was glad that the leaves were thick on the branches above them, allowing only small glimmers of light through the spaces between. Even with his pounding head, anxiety still stood at the forefront of his mind over her motives.

"I want to apologize for the other day." She remarked as she kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. "I shouldn't have just kissed you like that. We barely even know each other and it was highly improper of me. Can you find it in you to forgive me?"

Josh wanted to hug Debby right then, her voice sounded so small and scared, like she was afraid of some sort of punishment. He found himself wondering if her father might be cruel to her the way he had been to Jay. Josh knew better than to ask questions like that, regardless of his curiosity.

He stopped, so Debby had to do the same, and he waited until her large brown eyes met his. He gave her a gentle smile as he reached out to touch her arm in a reassuring manner saying, "It's alright, you just got carried away. It happens, it's human nature."

"I shouldn't have been so rash about the whole thing though. I had been so caught up in this moment I had been envisioning in my head that I didn't bother to pay attention to what was actually going on." She explained with a shake of her head. "I was being foolish."

"Well, there was no harm done and I'm not scarred or anything from your actions. So, do you still want to be my friend? I would hate to lose one of the only ones I have around here."

She gave him a tiny smile and began walking once more before teasing him, "I think you would be just fine without me, Joshua. My father doesn't tell me much, but he did inform me that you've been spending quite the amount of time with the Joseph's, including Tyler."

Josh could only hope that the spike of fear he felt drive its way down his spine, hadn't been visible on his face. He did his best to cover up those emotions by letting out a dry laugh, "It's all a part of the job."

"How did you manage it though? Getting close him in such a short period of time?"

Josh didn't think that they were close at all, all Tyler ever seemed to do was take precautions to protect his family and Josh kept finding ways to get in the middle of that.

He shrugged, "I guess he's just one of those people that need to know that you're willing to put in the effort to be friends with them, since the life they lead isn't the easiest to deal with."

"But, he's such a guarded person."

"I think he became so distant from everyone because he's so busy taking care of his siblings. I imagine that it must be a heavy workload to look after three other people all by himself."

Debby shook her head yet again and spoke plainly, "No, I don't think you understand. He has always been that way, even when his parents were around, it's like he's constantly... hiding something."

Josh was confused by the way her speech faltered, until he saw Tyler approaching them with his siblings close behind. A sense of befuddlement came over Josh, just what were they all doing out here, so close to town?

"Joshie! We found you!" Jay exclaimed as the boy bounded up to him.

Jay crashed against Josh's legs, hugging him tightly around the waist, while he nearly made the older male trip.

Zack tried to bite back his laugh as he chided his younger brother, "Now Jay, you don't want to hurt him, do you? You need to be more careful."

"I'm sorry!" Jay tells him as he embraces Josh a bit tighter.

"So, what brings you all this way?" Josh questions before leaning down to return Jay's hug.

Maddie was the one to answer, "We were getting ready to have a picnic and Zack suggested that you should join us. As soon as he did, Jay was insistent that we come and ask you."

"Well, I think Josh looks like he might be busy with other affairs at the moment." Tyler remarked before sending a polite smile to Debby, which she appeared hesitant to return. "Maybe he'll accompany us another time."

"If it's on behalf of me, you are more than welcome to have him. I just needed to have a small word with him and I believe we got everything cleared away just before you all arrived." Debby explained and even though what she said was true, it somehow felt as if she was doing her best to appease them.

"She can come too, right Ty?" Jay asked as he finally let go of Josh to turn to his brother.

"Of course she can." Tyler agreed and then turned back to Debby, "Would you like to join us? We made some jam last night and decided that having breakfast outside on such a beautiful day would be even better if we had someone else to share it with."

Debby bit at her bottom lip, that seemed to be a habit she had when she was thinking something over. "Alright, but I can't stay long, my father expects me at his sermon in an hour."

"That's alright. Well, I guess we should hurry along then." Tyler states before waving everyone to follow him as he made his back to the way he and his family had come.

Debby grabbed Josh's sleeve and held him back from the other to whisper, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

She kept her gaze trained on Tyler as she breathed, "I don't know, this just doesn't feel right to me."

"Trust me," Josh murmured as he guided her along. "I've spent plenty of time alone with them and they have never done anything that would make me think that I was going to be harmed."

Her next muttered words made Josh give her a pointed look.

"Maybe not yet.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song:
> 
> Gold by Chelsea Wolfe

 

The Joseph's lead Josh and Debby all the way to a clearing in the middle of the woods. Josh recognized the area and knew that just over the hill sat their mother's gardening hut that he had first hidden the lamb in. This part of the forest always felt like there was something in it watching, even in broad daylight. Then again, he knew that the woods held plenty of wildlife to cause this feeling, so he brushed aside his moment of unease.

As Madison helped Zack sit down the food for the picnic, Josh gazed around the glade wondering what made nature produce spots like this. What was it about the ground that made it unfit for the trees? The only downside to this serene spot was that it was quite a bit brighter here and Josh's head protested against that. He didn't voice his pain though as they all sat down and he took notice that Debby stuck close to his side. He resisted the urge to let out a frustrated sigh over her actions, she was being a bit ridiculous. It was as if she was expecting one of them to brandish a knife at any second. 

Zack handed Tyler a small gray crock of jam and then pulled out a dozen biscuits that were wrapped in a thin white cloth. Tyler pulled a biscuit apart and spooned some of the dark purple jam on it before handing it to Jay. He repeated the process for Madison and himself, while Zack pulled out a jug that looked to be cider. He tipped the bottle towards his lips, letting the golden liquid fall into his mouth.

"I want a sip." Maddie states and then her older brother poured a bit into her open mouth.

Tyler took out two more biscuits and smeared them with the sticky-looking jam before holding them out to Josh and Debby. Josh barely noticed the hesitation Debby displayed as he took the food from Tyler, for the oldest Joseph boy was actually smiling at him ever so softly. 

"We tried to make the jam as closely to the way our mom used to make it, so hopefully it's alright." Tyler explains as Josh takes a bite out of the biscuit. 

The saltiness of the biscuit and sweetness of the blackberry jam was in perfect balance. Josh covered his mouth as mumbled out, "It's delicious." 

Josh's moment of enjoyment was quickly killed when the light bounced off of the spoon in Jay's hand and hit him in the eyes. His face scrunched up as his hand shot up to clutch the side of his head.

"What's wrong?" Debby questioned instantly, her hand grasping his shoulder.

"Nothing, it's just my head hurting." 

"When did it start?"

Josh knew what she was implying, so he quickly corrected her before she could jump to any more conclusions. "I've had a headache since I woke up this morning and the sunlight is making it worse."

"Ty gets those too." Jay pipes up as he licks at the jam already smothered all over his chin and cheeks. "Sometimes he throws up because of it."

Zack let out a noise of disgust before fussing, "Jay, we're eating!" 

Jay ducked his head down murmuring, "Sorry, Zack."

"Try rubbing the sides of your head, it should help." Madison suggested as she glanced over at Debby while the older girl picked at her biscuit instead of eating it. 

Josh sat his biscuit down on his leg and lifted his hands up to his head, using his palms to rub his head back and forth. 

Madison chuckled and sat her food down on the blanket they were sitting on and crawled over on her knees towards Josh. "Here, that's not right. Let me show you."

Madison's fingertips began making gentle circles into his temples and at first, he didn't notice any changes, but then his eyes began to drift shut. 

"How is this supposed to help?" Debby asked sounding slightly worried.

"It usually helped the headache go away." Zack remarks. 

Ever so slightly the tightness in Josh's neck and head seemed to ease up the longer Madison rubbed his temples. He decided to test the light by cracking his eyes open slightly and found that the sun didn't bring a sense of stabbing pain this time. 

"I think it might have actually worked." Josh stated, feeling somewhat stunned.

Madison grinned widely at that. "I'm glad to hear that, usually I can never get it to work on Ty and Zack ends up having to help him."

Madison sat back down and picked up her biscuit, appearing pleased with herself. Debby, on the other hand, was still clearly on edge. 

"Thank you for that, Maddie." Josh tells her as he rubs the back of his neck, noticing that the tension in it from before was nearly gone. 

She responded with a slight nod as she chewed, but then turned when the sound of footfalls approached from the path they had arrived on. Josh moved his attention in the same direction and when he saw Jenna walking up the path, his eyes widened. She appeared just like any other girl in this town, for once in proper attire, but that didn't make Josh feel any less uneasy about her. 

"I'm sorry to interrupt." She tells them in a somewhat reedy voice. "Debby, your father wanted to let you know that today's sermon has been pushed back until later this evening, but he wants you to return home right now and wait for him there." 

Debby nodded, "I appreciate you coming all the way out here to tell me."

"And Joshua, you've been requested at the courthouse. James said that it was urgent." 

Josh hated the thought of looking over at Tyler after Jenna's statement, but he knew that it would only be worse for him in the long run if he didn't. He was somewhat puzzled when he discovered that Tyler's gaze was solely focused on her and the look in his eyes was unreadable, but it was otherwise intense. 

"Well, I must be on my way. I hope all of you have a good day." Jenna remarks before heading back up the path without another word. 

There was a moment of silence and then Debby rose to her feet asking, "Josh, would you mind walking me back to my home?"

"Of course." Josh responded as he clambered to his feet, wondering what could be so urgent that it required him at the courthouse. He swiftly finished off his biscuit before turning back to face the Joseph's, "Thank you for the picnic, I'll be seeing you all later."

"Does that mean you'll come by our house?" Jay questioned excitedly, his eyes shining brightly at the notion. "Lucy will be so happy to see you!"

Josh fought off his urge to glance over at Debby, hoping that she wouldn't ask who Lucy is. If he looked at her, he knew that he would make that possibility much more likely. He did notice Tyler's gaze shift over to his youngest brother, appearing if he was trying to silently will Jay to hush. 

Josh nodded, "If I get out of the courthouse before sundown, I'll be sure to stop by."

He held his breath as he and Debby walked away from the meadow and back down the path that would lead them to town. Debby seemed to be lost in thought and Josh wasn't about to dare to break her away from it. 

"I don't understand it." She mutters to herself with a gentle shake of her head. 

Josh turned to her, his only response being a look of curiosity. 

"Jenna always refers to Sir Cardwell by his first name and never as her father."

Josh wasn't too surprised by this, Jenna had done several things that were a bit more shocking to him than calling her father by his given name. He did his best to push back the recollection of her bathing under that waterfall.

"You would think she would have more respect for the man that took her in after what happened with her birth parents."

That piqued Josh's interest, "What was that?"

"Well, her mother passed away in childbirth and recently her father died as well. Jenna doesn't have any other family from around here, so the Cardwell family took her in with their two other children."

Josh frowned deeply at that, no wonder this poor girl seemed so off balance, she was probably just trying to figure out how to navigate life without a vital piece of it being around. "That's terrible." 

Debby nodded solemnly, "I used to talk to her every day before Sunday school, but then when she turned sixteen, she just stopped showing up after that." 

"When did her father pass?"

"The day after her seventeenth birthday. They aren't sure what caused it. Two men went out hunting that morning and found him in deep in the woods and they couldn't find any hunting tools with him, so no one goes there now. The church has said that part of the land has gone sour, that you can feel evil spirits drifting on the breeze there now."

"Do you believe that?" Josh questioned, feeling his skin itch as if something was crawling underneath it.

"I believe what my father tells me because he is a man of God that always speaks the truth."

Something about that response felt as if it had been rehearsed, as if she had been made to say those words, as if that was what was expected. Josh brushed the idea away, why wouldn't Debby trust her father's word? Just because Josh had a darker point of view of her father didn't mean that he was cruel to his own child.

Josh only nodded once as she leads him up to a stately looking home, but he took notice that it was still quite a bit smaller than Tyler's house. What had his father done for work that could afford him a home bigger than a preacher? 

He momentarily considered asking Debby until he saw a woman that resembled her pulling open the front door calling, "Come along Deborah, I need your help with this evening's meal, we're having quite a few guests over later on." 

"Yes, mother." Debby replied before briefly turning back to Josh. "Well, thank you for this morning. I hope to see you around." 

Josh nodded, "Have a good afternoon."

Once they had parted ways, he reluctantly made his way to where he was being expected. As he grew closer to the courthouse he discovered that there were a lot more people in the area than usual. On a day of a trail, it always seemed like everyone holed up in their houses as if that would keep them safe from the evil they feared so deeply. His eyes followed the flow of the crowd towards the gallows, finding the members of the court all surrounding it with Goodwife Bryant in chains. It felt as if stones were being placed in the bottom of Josh's stomach and they were weighing him down with every step he took.

"Joshua? What are you doing here?" His father questioned, his voice sounding tight.

"Sir Cardwell sent for me, I was told that it was urgent."

Josh fought to keep his gaze trained on his father, instead of glancing over the noose swaying slightly in the breeze. His throat felt tight all on its own at the sight of it. 

"Well, I'm telling you to leave. There's no need for you to be here to witness this."

"No, the boy stays." Clarence orders as he approaches the Dun's. "If he is to be a part of this case, he must attend all aspects of the trails."

"That's madness. My son is still just a boy, there can come no use of him attending a hanging."

"Are they truly going to hang her without proof?" Josh asked, his voice coming out in something closer to a whisper. 

"We have all the proof we need from our good townspeople. Now follow me, gentlemen."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song:
> 
> The Host of Seraphim by Dead Can Dance

Josh began to pray silently as he and his father reluctantly followed in step with Clarence. He was stunned to see Reverend Thompson amongst the other officials, but he caught the way the man twisted his hands together, he didn't want to be here either.

Eyes traveling over the crowd, he took in all of those that were attending. Most of them appeared almost secretly thrilled to be there to bear witness to the event, which made his stomach roll with nausea. His focus was drawn back to Ruth Bryant, studying the tear tracks shining on her cheeks as they grew closer to her. She must have felt his intense gaze resting on her because her bowed head lifted an inch to peer at him. No matter how much Josh wanted to turn away, their eyes remained locked.

"Keep those children safe, young man. You are their last ember of hope in this damned town." She tells him this in a hoarse voice, her throat most likely raw from either crying or screaming.

Josh knew who she was talking about, of course, but he was still stunned to hear someone from here take up for the Joseph's.

"I'll do my best." He responds as one of the clergymen marched over to her to swiftly strike her across the face.

Josh recoiled as if he had been the one to be smacked. Miss Bryant took in an audible gasp of air, clearly out of a mixture of shock and pain.

"You keep quiet, witch!" The man spat glaring down at her as she brought her shackled hands up to shield her face. Then he turned to Josh growling, "Don't speak to her, boy. She might curse you."

Before Josh could protest the councilman grabbed him by the elbow and steered him away from Goodwife Bryant. By doing that, it brought them closer to the edge of the gallows. He swallowed thickly, the last thing he wanted was a front-row spot for what was about to occur. The crowd around him was so dense that he couldn't move further back regardless of what he wanted. 

Ruth was now openly sobbing, her prayers becoming pure gibberish as two men moved to loom on either side of her.

"No! God, please have mercy! You must believe me when I swear to the Lord that I would never practice witchcraft." She begged as they drug her towards where the noose waited. 

Everything in Josh pleaded for him to do something, to save the woman, to just run away. Anything else would have been better than him simply standing there. 

A hush gradually fell over the crown when Reverend John Ryan came to the front and held up his hands, requesting quiet. "It deeply saddens me that we must gather here for such an event, but we must not allow an evil such as witchcraft to linger in this town any longer. God has clearly been sending us signs that he is unpleased with the ways we have been living our lives. Letting such sin to flourish here cannot be tolerated. So, as disheartening as this is, it needs to be dealt with." 

The air felt thick as Miss Bryant was hauled up the rickety wooden steps and her visible trembling was too hard to watch. Josh dropped his head to his feet, saying a small prayer under his breath. He prayer for intervention or a miracle to stop this slaying. 

"May God have mercy on your soul." Reverend John tells her, but something about his tone sounded detached.

Josh risked letting his head rise back up to find the rope digging into her neck as she clawed at it. The world seemed to come to a single point, the scene in front of him seemed to be all that existed as all the hair on his body stood on end as he truly grasped that he was going to watch this woman die. Ruth was then forced to stand on a stool, her knees trembling as they appeared to be about to give out.

"Goodwife Ruth Bryant, you have hereby been charged with the crime of witchcraft. The sentence is death." Clarence announced and then turned to the hangman. "Finish it."

The chair was given a hard kick out from under her feet and her body fell in a short jerk. Her blue eyes widened as her hands momentarily tugged at the rope before falling limp at her sides. Goodwife Bryant's head dropped forward and then a sound of gagging left her lips before she became unbearably still. 

It felt as if a winter wind chill curled it way under Josh's skin. He seemed to fold in half against his own will as his chest bent to meet his legs as he vomited into the long grass at his feet. Seconds later, there where hands grasping his shoulders and words being spoken to him that he didn't care to make sense of. He let himself be led away from his sick and then the crowd that still seemed too stunned to move away from the hanged woman before them. A small part of Josh wondered if they still looked as intrigued as they had at the start of the trail, but a larger part of him couldn't bare finding out. 

He began to recognize that the voices speaking to him belonged to his father and Reverend Hugh as his mind managed to find a way to drift back into focus. 

"I'm so dreadfully sorry that your boy had to witness that. Who even told him to come?" Hugh questions as he struggled to get the words out as he assisted in lugging Josh along with Bill. 

"I don't know and they should hope that I never discover who was behind it."

"Cardwell," Josh mumbled, his mouth feeling like it had been stuffed with a cloth, but he kept on. "his daughter, Jenna, said that he requested me. That it was urgent. I didn't think it would be for anything like that."

"Why would James do such a thing? He has made it very clear that he believes that having a man as young as yourself on a witch trial was a poor choice. Is there any way you could have been mistaken?"

Bill spoke up at that, "I think the real question here, Reverend, is why would he want Joshua here in the first place? There was no necessity in it." 

"Are you suggesting that he had ill intent?"

"Well, he hasn't ever been shy about his dislike for me coming here to assist you all with the trials." 

Josh ripped himself from the two men's holds as he demanded, "This is what you are arguing about? We just saw a woman that was most likely innocent be murdered over suspicion! The last thing you should care about is why I was made to come here! This has to stop before any other undeserving person gets a rope around their neck."

Hugh only blinked at him, stunned by Josh's outburst, and it took him a moment to recollect his thoughts, "My boy, that's exactly why you and your father are here. We are working to prove that witchcraft isn't the true source of these issues."

Josh felt a lump grow in his throat, "But how? Those clergymen are hellbent on killing the accused and no one, other than us, is doing anything to stop them."

"We're working as swiftly as we can, Joshua. Hugh and I think we may have a few leads, but you must be patient." His father explains.

"And what if someone else is brought up for execution?"

"That's a sad truth that sometimes has to be faced in these cases. You should have known that when we came here."

"How could I have known that? How was I to know that you were bringing me to watch a town tare itself apart from the inside?" Josh demanded and then he began to feel as if his lungs were about to burst in his chest as he thought of the possibility of witnessing such a thing again. "I have to leave."

"What?" Both men questioned.

"I can't do this. I was never meant for a task like this. I should have just stayed with mother and the others like I always do. I knew that I was never meant to do what you do." Josh began to mutter as he made his way to the stables where their horses were being kept. 

He was going to gather his things, his horse, and get as far away from this place as fast as he could. He didn't care that he would be making the journey alone. He told himself that he would figure it out along the way. He couldn't handle for a moment longer.

A firm hand gripped his forearm to yank him around, bringing him uncomfortably close to his father. He could feel the older man's breath on his cheeks as he looked at him with stern eyes. 

"If you walk away from this, that's your choice, but you need to remember that the second you step foot out of this place you will be a murder."

Josh blanched at that and his father continued.

"The Joseph family will be as good as dead. Even if the council decides to spare the other children, the people here won't, not without some sort of proof. If you leave them now Tyler will face the same fate as Ruth Bryant, if not worse. If you wish to leave them to that, it will be your burden to bare before the eyes of God." 

"I don't-"

"I'm sorry to say that this isn't just about you. Your choices will fall upon four others and that's a hard fact about all of this. About life in general. Sometimes what you do, doesn't just come back on you alone. You need to face that now, no matter how hard it is. Are you going to stay and fight this? Or are you going to walk away and let them perish?"

Josh's eyes drifted from his father over to Reverend John Ryan all on their own. 

He knew that if he hadn't been around when that man had tried to drown Jay, there would be one less Joseph in this town. He thought of the world without that sweet generous boy, the one that cared for an oddity such as a two-headed lamb, instead of cursing it. His mind's eye then called forth Madison, a girl that was much younger than she behaved, wiser beyond her years and he knew that she was a gift of God. He thought of Zack with his talents of cooking and his ability to make almost anything worth a laugh. 

He then thought of Tyler. Though he knew little of him, what Josh did know was the makings of a good man. He put his family first and did all that he could to keep them safe. Something told Josh that there was much so much more to Tyler than could be seen on the surface and he couldn't find it in him to think of it as something evil. 

He couldn't see that in any of them. The world would be darker without them. Josh didn't want to consider a place like that. He knew that there was no turning back now, he had chosen his path the minute he had agreed to keep watch over the Joseph's. He could tell now though that it was no longer something he was doing for those men of the court, but to keep what was left of that family safe from those monsters. 

He had no clue how he was going to make that happen, how he was going to prove that none of them were in league with Satan, but he would try. That was more than most could say. 

Josh turned his gaze back to his father as he took in a deep breath before saying, "Alright, I will stay."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song:
> 
> You There by Aquilo

He could still taste the bile in his mouth as he walked back to Reverend Thompson's house alone. He claimed that he needed some time to be by himself to recollect his emotions. In truth, he intended to go feed Lucy, even if was only just something to keep him busy. He was afraid that if he gave himself a moment to pause he would have another breakdown.

Josh felt drained after what he had just witnessed, his body softly pleading for him to take a minute to rest as he snuck over to milk the sheep. He certainly knew that now wasn't the time to do such a thing, the last thing he needed was being caught. He would have no way to explain what he was doing and his state of mind was in too much of a mess to come up with an excuse that would make even a bit of sense. 

It seemed that fate wasn't on his side today because milking the ewe proved to be more difficult than usual. Josh felt bad for how hard he had to tug on her utters before she gave him enough milk to satisfy Lucy.

The sound of footsteps startled Josh to the point of squeezing too hard and for a second he thought he saw a drop of blood fall into the milk bottle. He didn't have time to spare to think it over, only to hide from sight as quickly as he could when the sheep let out a bleat of pain. Josh dove behind a large stack of hay that was clearly meant to be the livestock's food.

His heart hammered in his chest as he listened intently for any other sounds of someone approaching. When he finally heard something, he realized that the noises were heading away from him. He let out a quiet breath of relief as he slowly rose out of the hay while pieces of it clung to his clothes. Josh refused to risk being caught by trying to get a new bottle of milk, hopefully, he had been wrong about thinking he saw blood in it.

When he was sure that the threat of being spotted was gone, Josh darted out of the barn. He did his best to use his body as a shield to hide the milk bottle he carried as he went straight for the trees. His headache seemed to come back full force now, but he pressed on towards the Joseph's anyway. 

On the way there, he passed by the meadow where they had all been eating not that long ago. It felt as if days had passed since then, instead of hours. He wished that he could have had a way to turn back time to that moment, to stay there with them, to not have the sight of Miss Bryant's lifeless body branded into his thoughts. 

By the time he reached the barn, tears were swimming in his eyes, no matter how hard he fought for them to stop. He brushed his sleeve swiftly against his eyes before moving to take care of the task at hand. Lucy had grown quite a bit since she had been brought here, meaning that soon she wouldn't need to be bottle-fed any longer. That meant Josh had to start coming up with other ways to be able to linger around Tyler and his family.

Josh kneeled down before the lamb, stroking her head as she sniffed at the milk. He waited for her to latch on, but then the other head took ahold of the bottle nipple. Josh nearly fell backward at the sight, this head had never given him any sort of response to food and he was unsure as to why it did now.

A whispering worry came to mind, what if it was because of the blood? He gave his head a hard shake, his exhausted head was getting the better of him. It had only been a drop and for all that he knew it had just been a trick of his eyes struggling to see in the other darkened barn. 

The lamb drank in greedy gulps and Josh tried not to feel unsettled by the sight. Had he been wrong? Was he so distraught that he somehow mixed up which head was the response one? He turned to regard the other head and knew that he hadn't made a mistake, but that clearly brought him no comfort.

In no time, the bottle was emptied, but he remained on his knees before the animal. It made him think back to the trial of Goodwife Hill. The woman had tossed the baby sheep out onto the road to get rid of what she thought was evil, but that still hadn't kept her from being given a guilty sentence. Josh was worried now, would harboring Lucy cost that woman her life too? It seemed the court would kill over less. 

Now he felt torn, he didn't know if he should just drop the lamb back off in town in hopes that someone would see her. He was unsure if that would even be of any aid to Miss Hill's case. She might still be seen as guilty. There was also the likelihood that Lucy might be slaughtered. It appeared that no matter what he chose, it would result in death either way.

Josh's insides seemed to twist tightly thanks to these thoughts, so unsure of what to do. There was no one he could talk about the issue. He couldn't tell his father that he had been hiding the animal responsible for a woman being imprisoned. On the other hand, he couldn't bring it up to any of the Joseph's without exposing that he was a part of the group that basically ruined their lives. 

It was clear now that he was more alone than ever in all of this. Josh sank down until he was sitting next to Lucy, knowing that he should do what is right, but he had to admit that he had grown fond of the strange creature. 

"God, tell me what is the right thing to do?" Josh asked aloud, lifting his head upwards. He sighed and changed the request, "Give me the strength to do what must be done."

"Who are you out here talking to?" A voice questions, making Josh's head snap down to spot Tyler standing in the opening of the barn.

Josh scrambled to his feet as he explained, "I had just come to feed Lucy and as odd as it might sound, I was talking to her for a moment."

Tyler rose an eyebrow at him, but there were hints that he was trying to disguise his amusement as his eyes twinkled slightly. "Is that something you do often? Do you seek out animals for comfort and guidance instead of your fellow man?"

Josh let out a dry laugh, "Well, they are good listeners."

"That and all they ask for in exchange is food and maybe a pat on the head."

"It's a shame that people can't be as simple." Josh muttered to himself.

"Is something on your mind?"

Josh shrugged and asked a question of his own, "Do ever feel like people around here enjoy taking things too far?" 

"You went to a hanging, didn't you?"

"How did you know that?" Josh questioned, doing his best to keep the fretting out of his tone.

"They always tend to have executions on Saturdays for some reason. It still seems strange to me that they would do such things the day before they all congregate to church the next morning though. You would think that would be seen as an odd choice."

Josh nodded in agreement as he murmured, "A lot of things here don't make much sense to me."

Tyler gave him a pitying smile, "And you probably never will, so as long as you don't let their way of thinking get to you."

"How did you and your family manage to get away from thinking like the rest of the people that live around here?"

An emotion flashed over Tyler's face so suddenly that Josh wasn't sure if he had just imagined it. He regretted his question though because the small feeling of ease Tyler seemed to have had, slipped away.

He answered anyway regardless, "We used to live quite a bit further south. My father had been avid about discovering new medicines and ways of curing ailments, so he thought that moving up here might help broaden that search." 

"So, that's how Zack knew how to ease my headache." 

"Yes, but that's nothing too special. Learning about pressure points is simple, you just have to unafraid of touching the other person." 

Something about that statement made Josh's stomach flip, but he didn't feel like trying to figure out its cause. He was too preoccupied with the fact that Tyler was actually willingly telling him about his father. 

"Was your father a doctor?"

"Yes, and he cared so much about helping people that it seemed like he was willing to go great lengths to just to make it happen. He was one of the most selfless men I've ever known."

"It sounds like he was a great man."

Tyler nodded slowly as he focused on the ground just to the side of him and took in a long deep breath. He focused his dark eyes back on Josh and spoke, "The backward ways of this place have never touched us because we were never really welcomed here since the moment we arrived." 

"But why?"

"I guess taking care of sickness and using medicine is considered witchcraft here." He explains with an edge to his voice.

"Then how were you all able to build a place such as the one your family lives in? It couldn't have been a task that your father had done alone."

"They didn't truly have a problem with our family until my mother was expecting my youngest sibling."

Josh's eyebrows knitted together, "Why would that cause an issue?"

The sound of running footsteps made Tyler peer over his shoulder and Josh saw Madison slowing to a jog as she came in the barn. She sent Josh a polite smile before moving her attention back to her brother.

"Jenna is here and she wants to see you." She explains.

"Again?"

"Do you want me to tell her that now isn't a good time?" 

Tyler appeared to be mulling her question over for a long moment, so Josh volunteered, "If I'm interrupting you go ahead, I was just about to head back anyway." 

"No, it's nothing like that. She is requesting something that I can't provide." 

Josh gave him a confused look.

So, Tyler elaborated, "She has asked me to court her."

"Wouldn't it have to be the other way around? I've never heard of a girl asking after a man." 

"Ah, but I know that even you can tell that Jenna isn't your typical type of proper girl."

Josh did his best to keep his expression neutral as he thought of all the strange things that seemed to surround that girl. He knew that she probably wouldn't help in making Tyler appear innocent of being the cause of anything the council had accused him of. He held his tongue though, it wasn't his place to say whether or not Tyler wanted to entertain her wishes.

"But as I just said, that isn't something I am capable of doing for her. Even if I wanted to, there would be no one left to take care of my siblings and there's no way I'm going to let something like that happen."

"So, dear brother, " Madison questioned with a clearly sarcastic tone, "What would you like me to tell the lady in waiting?"

The corner of Tyler's mouth perked up seemingly against his will as he said, "Tell her that I am unfortunately busy with other matters at the moment and I will have to see her later."

"See, how hard was that?" She questioned, still obviously teasing him before turning back towards the way she had come.

"I guess that means you'll have to stay for a while, just so she won't catch on to the fact that isn't actually true." Tyler remarked to Josh and then suddenly asked, "Have you ever been fishing?"


End file.
